Battery-operated cigarette lighter



y 23, 1953 J. G. BEHRENDT 3,098,923

BATTERY-OPERATED CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed March 26, 1962 3,%8,923Patented July 23, 1963 3,698,923 BATTERY-ORERATED CIGARETTE LIGHTER.l'ohn G. Behrendt, 1929 73rd Court, Ehnwood Park, Ill. Filed Mar. 26,1962, Ser- No. 182,391 3 Claims. Cl. 219-32 My invention relates to andhas for its primary object that of associating with a standard typeradio a cigarette lighter, using as the power source for the filament ofsuch lighter that which operates the radio.

Another and equally important object of my invention resides in new andsimplified means for concealing the filament of the lighter by means ofa movable shutter, which shutter is also utilized for completing thecircuit between the power source of theradio and the cigarette lighter.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a radio with which my invention isassociated;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the parts in differentposition;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the radio with the back plate removed;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the interior of the backplate;

FIG. 5 is a perspective View of the latter assembly removed from theback plate;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially online 66 of FIG. 1 to enlarged scale;

FIG. 7 is a detail view of a modified form of a connection to the powersource of the radio.

The several objects of my invention are preferably accomplished by thepreferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings andwhich will be presently described.

The radio with which my invention is associated includes a casing 10having a removable back plate 11 normally secured in position upon thecasing It) by any suitable means.

Within the casing 10 are confined the components 13 of the radio. Theradio power circuit includes a power unit 14 in the form of relativelysmall batteries. In the present instance, the batteries are arrangedwithin a cradle 15 which includes a pivoted holding bar 16, which in thepresent instance is pivotally supported as at 17 and may be pivoted awayfrom the batteries 14 to permit the removal of the batteries from thecradle.

To associate my cigarette lighter with the radio, I provide a mountingplate 18 formed of non-conductive material. This mounting plate 18 ismounted within the back plate 1.1 and secured thereto by suitable screws12.

Formed in the back plate 11 is an opening 19 registering with an opening19' formed in the plate 18, to the rear of which openings and exposedtherethrough is a lighter filament 20 of any approved construction. Thefilament 2% is carried by a non-conductive plate 21 supported in spacedrelation from and by the mounting plate I3, by means of mounting studs22. In the form of construction shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive, oneside of the filament 2% by means of a conductor wire 23 is connected toa resilient contact plate 24. The other side of the filament 2i? bymeans of a conductor wire 25 is connected to a resilient contact finger26. The contact plate 24 and finger 26 are each carried by the mountingplate 18.

Pivots-11y carried by the mounting plate 18 as at 27 is a shutter 28.The shutter 28 has an enlarged portion 29 which is adapted to bedisposed between the filament 2d and the opening id to conceal thefilament 20. The shutter 28 includes an extension 30 which is pivotallyconnected to a contact plate 31 carried by the mounting plate 18. Thisextension 30- by means of a conductor wire 3% has connection with thecontact plate 31.

Formed in the back plate 11 is an elongated slot 32 which registers withan elongated slot 33 formed in the plate 18. A stud shaft 34 is carriedby the shutter 28 and projects through the slots 32 and 33. Carried bythis shaft 34- is a finger knob 35 by means of which the shutter 23 ispivoted from closing position with respect to the opening 19 to exposethe filament 20. The shutter 28 is automatically returned to closingposition with respect to the opening 19' by means of a spring 36 (FIG.4), one end of which is connected to the shutter and the opposite end ofwhich is connected to the mounting plate 18. When the shutter is pivotedmanually to expose the openings 19 and 19', it contacts the contactfinger 26 to complete a circuit between the batteries 14 and filament20.

Arranged on the bar 16 and insulated therefrom in the event that the baris made of conductive material are contact bands 37 which are connectedby means of conductor wires 38 to the spring contacts 39' having contactwith electrodes of the batteries.

When the back plate 11 with the cigarette lighter assembled therein inthe manner shown in FIG. 4 is placed in position upon the casing 10, thespring contact plates 24 and 31 will have engagement with the bands 37,so that when the shutter 23 is in contact with the contact finger 26, acircuit will be completed between the batteries and the filament 20,energizing the same so as to permit the lighting of the end of acigarette 40 when such end is brought into contact with the filament inthe manner shown in FIG. 2. The filament 20 is exposed for this purposeby manually pivoting the shutter about its pivot 27, bringing theshutter 28 into contact with the finger 26. After the cigarette has beenlit and removed from projection into the opening 19, the finger button35 is released to allow the shutter under action of the spring 36 topivot to a closed position with respect to the opening 19 as shown inFIG. 1.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided acigarette lighter to be used in combination with a radio with only minormodifications of the latter.

As herein described and as shown in the drawings, the several parts ofthe lighter assembly are mounted upon the mounting plate 18. If desired,this plate may be omitted and the lighter assembly mounted directly uponthe back plate, using proper insulation if it be necessary to insulatethe parts of the assembly from the back plate.

The construction described herein is such as permits association withany conventional type of radio, and the simplicity of constructionpermits economical manufacture.

In FIG. 7 I have shown a modified form of construction for connectingthe wires 23 and 3d to the bar 16. In this form of construction, thereis associated with the bar 16 adjacent each end thereof a suitablespring clip 41 to which is removably attached a connector finger 42which is adapted to have frictional holding contact with a clip 43preferably formed as an integral part of the clip 41. Other means forconnecting the wires 23 and 30 to the batteries may be employed withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

In use, the user generally will hold the radio in one hand, placing thethumb upon the finger button 35, exerting a pressure thereon in adirection to pivot the shutter to a position to expose the filament 20.Upon such exposure and while the shutter 28 is held in such position,the user will apply the tip of the cigarette to the filament while thefilament is energized and efifect lighting of the cigarette. Uponlighting of the cigarette, the pressure of the thumb is released fromthe finger button 35 and the shutter, under action of the spring 36,will return to closing position with respect to the opening 19.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, there fore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a casing within which is arranged (a) a power source,

(b) said casing having a wall having formed therein an opening andelongated slot adjacent said open- (c) a mounting plate having anopening and a slot formed therein and arranged in said casing againstsaid wall with the opening and slot of the mounting plate inregistration with the opening and slot in said wall.

(d) a lighting filament arranged in the casing and carried by themounting plate to the rear of and exposed through said opening,

(2) a shutter pivotally carried by the mounting plate Within the casingfor closing said opening to conceal said filament,

(f) circuit means for connecting said filament with said power source,said circuit means including as an element thereof said shutter and acontact plate the latter carried by said mounting plate and engageableby the shutter when the shutter is moved from concealed position withrespect to said filament, and

(g) a finger button carried by the shutter and extending through andoperable in said slot to facilitate moving said shutter from and toconcealing position with respect to said filament.

2. A cigarette lighter comprising (a) a mounting plate having an openingformed therein and an elongated slot adjacent said opening,

(b) a filament carried by said mounting plate and eX- posed through saidopening,

() a pair of contact plates carried by the mounting plate and adapted tobe placed in contact with opposite poles of a battery,

(d) a shutter having an end portion for removably closing said openingto conceal said filament,

(e) a contact member carried by said mounting plate in the path ofmovement of said end portion of said shutter plate and having connectionwith one side of said filament,

(1) means for connecting the other side of said filament to one of saidpair of contact plates,

(g) means pivotally connecting the other end portion of said shutterplate to the other of said pairs of contact plates,

(11) finger engaging means carried by the shutter plate and extendingthrough and movable in said slot to facilitate pivoting said shutterplate from a concealing position with respect to said filament and intocontact with said contact member to complete the circuit between saidpoles and said filament, and

(i) spring means for moving said shutter into concealing position withrespect to said filament.

3. In combination,

(a) a casing within which is arranged a battery providing a powersource,

(b) said casing having a wall provided with an opening and an elongatedslot at one side of said opens,

(0) a lighting filament arranged in the casing to the rear of andexposed through said opening,

(0?) a pair of spring contacts adapted to have engagement with the polesof the battery,

(e) a shutter having one end portion pivotally connected to one of saidspring contacts in planar relation with respect to said wall andnormally closing said opening to conceal said filament,

(f) a circuit connection between the other of the spring contacts andone side of the filament,

g) a resilient contact finger in the path of movement of said shutterand engaged thereby when the latter is pivoted from said concealingposition,

(It) a circuit connection between said resilient contact finger and theother side of said filament,

(i) and a finger button carried by said shutter and operable in saidslot for pivotal-1y moving said shutter into contact with said resilientcontact finger to complete a circuit between the filament and saidbattery with the shutter pivoted from said concealing position.

eferences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bakstet a1. Aug. 1, 1950 Boyarsky et al. Dec. 26, 1950 Burtman Sept. 21, 1954FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 13, 1931 Great Britain Dec. 31, 1938Australia May 1, 1950 France July 27, 1959

1. IN COMBINATION, A CASING WITHIN WHICH IS ARRANGED (A) A POWER SOURCE,(B) SAID CASING HAVING A WALL HAVING FORMED THEREIN AN OPENING ANDELONGATED SLOT ADJACENT SAID OPENING, (C) A MOUNTING PLATE HAVING ANOPENING AND A SLOT FORMED THEREIN AND ARRANGED IN SAID CASING AGAINSTSAID WALL WITH THE OPENING AND SLOT OF THE MOUNTING PLATE INREGISTRATION WITH THE OPENING AND SLOT IN SAID WALL. (D) A LIGHTINGFILAMENT ARRANGED IN THE CASING AND CARRIED BY THE MOUNTING PLATE TO THEREAR OF AND EXPOSED THROUGH SAID OPENING, (E) A SHUTTER PIVOTALLYCARRIED BY THE MOUNTING PLATE WITHIN THE CASING FOR CLOSING SAID OPENINGTO CONCEAL SAID FILAMENT, (F) CIRCUIT MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID FILAMENTWITH SAID POWER SOURCE, SAID CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING AS AN ELEMENTTHEREOF SAID SHUTTER AND A CONTACT PLATE THE LATTER CARRIED BY SAIDMOUNTING PLATE AND ENGAGEABLE BY THE SHUTTER WHEN THE SHUTTER IS MOVEDFROM CONCEALED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID FILAMENT, AND (G) A FINGERBUTTON CARRIED BY THE SHUTTER AND EXTENDING THROUGH AND OPERABLE IN SAIDSLOT TO FACILITATE MOVING SAID SHUTTER FROM AND TO CONCEALING POSITIONWITH RESPECT TO SAID FILAMENT.